Name: Verity Baynton
Year: 4th year modern language student
Degree: German and French
Star Sign: Taurus
As a modern language student, this is Verity’s third year in St Andrews after a year of enjoying La Vie Français in cosmopolitan Paris. Enthusiastic about her time abroad, she reveals some top hotspots and recommendations for visitors: The Park Buttes-Chaumont, the Canal Saint-Martin, 10 euro theatre tickets, and skating outside Hotel de Ville. Moreover, she cites another of her favourite experiences in Paris as the crepes – available on every street, cheap and delicious. In a dramatic fashion, (the stuff movies are made of), Verity and fellow St Andrews student Xara Bennett-Jones had the daunting realisation that they would not be able to enjoy these crepes on their return to St Andrews. They could survive without the Parisian lifestyle; they could not, however, survive with the thought of no crepes. This epiphany was the ‘eureka moment’ for their shared entrepreneurial venture, the St Andrews Crepe Company.
St Andrews Crepe Company is the outcome of this initial idea – selling crepes the students of St Andrews University. Flavours include lemon and sugar, Nutella and banana and plain Nutella (why don’t they have any jam??), and have been sold outside the union, and, most recently, at the Snowdrops by candlelight at Cambo Estate.
It has involved a lot of research, not only about the right equipment, but also into health and safety and the variety of legal issues that comes with selling food products. Verity is very complementary of the Careers centre, for all their assistance and advice in setting up the venture.
When not flipping pancakes, Verity is your representative on the Student Representative Council (SRC) as member of private accommodation – sitting on the SRC and association subcommittee to discuss matters concerning accommodation. Her main role is to the university accountable for decisions about accommodation, as well as lobbying the university for more bursaries, more affordable university accommodation and more beds. More tangible activities for students include giving advice, information and support for students to move out of halls, as well as the two successful flatmate speed-dating events – with questions such as ‘are you a night owl?’ and ‘what is your patronas?’ Here is the St Anderws SCR Accomodation team facebook page.
Quick Fire Round
Dream travel destination: Australia
Favourite Coffee Spot: Cottage Kitchen
Guilty Pleasure Food: Chocolate Carmel shortbread
Favourite place in St Andrews: So many – all the beaches, the costal path, lade braes
Favourite St Andrews tradition: May Dip
Most embarrassing song on your ipod: Tattoo, also an album entitled ‘Barbie Girls’